Can you drink the tap water in Europe?
You can drink the tap water in most of Europe. The map shows, country by country, the share of people with safe drinking water at home in 2024.
Safely managed drinking water at home, 2024
The share of people whose water at home comes from a protected source, is available when needed and is free from contamination, from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. Select a country for its answer and sources.
United States and Canada
- 99–100%
- 97–98.9%
- 90–96.9%
- 80–89.9%
- Under 80%
- No safely managed figure
* Guernsey and Jersey: of people in Jersey had safely managed drinking water at home in 2024 (WHO/UNICEF publish no figure for Guernsey).
Every country on the map
| Country | Short answer | Safely managed, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Usually, as long as the water is running. | 70.8% |
| Andorra | Yes, for the most part. | 90.6% |
| Austria | Yes. | 98.9% |
| Belarus | In towns and cities, generally yes. | 93.1% |
| Belgium | Yes. | 99.5% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | In the bigger towns, usually yes. | 86.4% |
| Bulgaria | Generally, yes. | 96.2% |
| Croatia | Yes, on the public supply. | 87.3% |
| Cyprus | Yes. | 99.7% |
| Czechia | Yes. | 98.1% |
| Denmark | Yes. | 99.9% |
| Estonia | Yes, if you're on a public water system. | 98.9% |
| Faroe Islands | Yes, on the municipal supply. | No figure |
| Finland | Yes. | 99.6% |
| France | Yes. | 99.7% |
| Georgia | In Georgia's towns and cities, generally yes. | 70.5% |
| Germany | Yes. | 99.9% |
| Greece | Yes, on the mainland supply. | 96.7% |
| Guernsey and Jersey | Yes, from the mains on both islands. | 92.8%of people in Jersey had safely managed drinking water at home in 2024 (WHO/UNICEF publish no figure for Guernsey) |
| Hungary | Yes. | 100% |
| Iceland | Yes, from the cold tap. | 100% |
| Ireland | Yes, from the public supply. | 96.1% |
| Isle of Man | Yes. | 99.9% |
| Italy | Yes, as a rule. | 96.8% |
| Kosovo | In the towns, mostly yes, but keep an eye out for local notices. | No figure |
| Latvia | Yes. | 97.0% |
| Liechtenstein | Yes. | 100% |
| Lithuania | Yes. | 96.7% |
| Luxembourg | Yes. | 99.7% |
| Malta | Yes. | 99.8% |
| Moldova | From the piped supply, usually yes. | 75.8% |
| Monaco | Yes. | 100% |
| Montenegro | In the towns, generally yes, though water on the coast can run short in summer. | 85.5% |
| Netherlands | Yes. | 100% |
| North Macedonia | In the towns, generally yes; in the countryside, less reliably. | 80.8% |
| Norway | Yes. | 99.1% |
| Poland | Yes, on the large public supplies. | 88.7% |
| Portugal | Yes. | 95.2% |
| Romania | In the cities, generally yes; in the countryside, much less reliably. | 82.2% |
| Serbia | It depends on where you are. | 75.0% |
| Slovakia | Yes, if you're on the public waterworks. | 99.6% |
| Slovenia | Yes, on the larger supplies. | 99.6% |
| Spain | Yes. | 99.5% |
| Sweden | Yes. | 99.8% |
| Switzerland | Yes. | 96.7% |
| Turkey | In the cities, generally yes. | No figure |
| Ukraine | Check locally, because the war makes supply unpredictable. | 87.9% |
| United Kingdom | Yes. | 99.8% |
| Canada | Yes, in cities and towns. | 96.9% |
| United States | Yes, from a public water system, which is where 9 in 10 Americans get their tap water. | 97.6% |
Why a public tap can still be different
These figures are about water at home. A public tap or fountain can be on a different supply, closed for the winter or never tested, and each country's page says what that means there. Before you fill up, check the spout and let the water run for a few seconds.
In the Fontavio app, people confirm the taps they found working and leave notes on them. You can see what's closest or pick a place on the map, then follow the compass or use navigation.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink the tap water in Europe?
In most countries, yes. In 2024, at least 97% of people had safely managed drinking water at home in 24 of the 45 European countries with a WHO/UNICEF figure, and at least 99% in 20. It was lowest in Georgia (70.5%), Albania (70.8%), Serbia (75.0%) and Moldova (75.8%). Each country's page on fontavio.com gives the full answer and its sources.
Which European countries have the safest tap water?
By the WHO/UNICEF measure of safely managed drinking water, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Netherlands reached 100% in 2024, and 20 European countries were at 99% or more.
Where in Europe should you check before drinking the tap water?
Where the 2024 share of safely managed drinking water was under 90%: Georgia (70.5%), Albania (70.8%), Serbia (75.0%), Moldova (75.8%), North Macedonia (80.8%), Romania (82.2%), Montenegro (85.5%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (86.4%), Croatia (87.3%), Ukraine (87.9%) and Poland (88.7%). Several of those country pages answer differently for towns and the countryside, so read the one for where you are going.
Is a public drinking fountain safe if the tap water is?
Not always. A public tap or fountain can be on a different supply, closed for the winter or never tested, so the country figure does not cover it. Check the spout, let the water run for a few seconds, and look for a sign saying the water is not for drinking.
What does safely managed drinking water mean?
It is how the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme describes water at home that comes from a protected source, is available when needed and is free from contamination.
Sources
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, household drinking water data (2025 update, estimates for 2024) (opens in a new tab). Each country's page lists its national sources and the date each one was checked.
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